


after you, i dont know what i believe in

by CallicoKitten



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Multi, Post-Movie(s), Slow Burn, Spoilers, idiot boys crying and breaking shit in space, lots of contemplation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-11
Updated: 2017-11-11
Packaged: 2019-01-31 21:26:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,641
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12690531
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CallicoKitten/pseuds/CallicoKitten
Summary: Banner winces, "You guys have issues.""Understatement of the millennia," Brunnhilde mutters.-aka, the long road to midgard





	after you, i dont know what i believe in

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Русский available: [after you, i dont know what i believe in](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14263536) by [akino_ame](https://archiveofourown.org/users/akino_ame/pseuds/akino_ame), [Rin_ne](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rin_ne/pseuds/Rin_ne)



> i started this after the first time i saw the film, dropped it and then picked it up after the second and now i guess it's my obligatory random rambly follow up to a marvel movie? anyway, there were a lot of discarded plotlines that i might write as separate fics at some point and honestly, this could have gone on for way longer.
> 
> title is from portugal the man's atomic man and lets just pretend Knowhere isn't in a completely different galaxy

The spacecraft is a far cry from the gilded halls of Asgard but there is still room enough for celebration, muted as it is.

“When we find our new home we will build a lasting monument to those we have lost,” Thor promises and the Asgardians nearest him raise their glasses in a grim salute. It hadn’t taken long for him to notice who was missing from their little band of refugees. Of Fandral, Hogan and Volstagg he has confirmation, of Lady Sif there has been no word. Later, he will track down his brother and take him by the throat, slam him against the cold metal of the ship and demand to know her whereabouts. He already knows Loki will claim ignorance, whether or not he had any part to play in her disappearance.

He has not begun to feel it yet, the loss. It will come later, he knows. It was so with Loki, with his mother.

Heimdall sets a hand on his shoulder, calm and steadying as ever. “Lady Sif left Asgard of her own volition,” he says. “Her whereabouts are unknown even to me.”

Thor frowns through a haze of cheap liquor. “Why would she leave?”

Valkyrie, sprawled on the floor to the left of his throne snorts. “Probably got tired of being the only competent person on Asgard.”  Thor looks down at her and she laughs, reaches out to grasp Heimdall’s ankle. “’Cept you of course, Gatekeeper.”

Heimdall smiles, Thor does to and he leans over the arm of his throne. “It is heartening that you have built such a confident opinion of our past deeds after knowing us all of five minutes.”

Valkyrie laughs again, “Trust me, babe. That was more than enough.”

Heimdall snorts though he disguises it poorly as a cough and Thor twists to face him. “Come Heimdall, surely you who sees all must hold somewhat of a higher opinion of your king.”

Heimdall’s silence grows.

Thor laughs incredulously. “ _Seriously?_ Does no one here remember any of my past deeds? I saved Asgard _twice_! I saved Midgard _twice_! I have defended the Nine Realms and defeated countless untold beasts! I am not _incompetent_.”

Heimdall sighs, “I suppose there have been known occurrences of competence,” he concedes.

Thor whoops. From somewhere to his right, Banner makes a small, distressed noise. “And now you’re in charge,” he says. “You’re _in charge_ and we’re adrift on this weird spaceship and oh my god, how did I even get here? We’re all going to need therapy. So much therapy.”

Valkyrie has crawled over to Thor’s throne, clambered up the side to lean over the left arm and peer across at him. “I think our champion might need to be put to bed.”

“I agree,” Thor says. He tilts his head back to meet Heimdall’s gaze and grins. “Perhaps Heimdall as the last competent Asgardian could see to it.”

The corner of Heimdall’s mouth twitches. It could be the beginnings of a smile or a grimace. Either way, Heimdall sighs and turns towards Banner.

Valkyrie snorts inelegantly. “Gutted, Heimdall!” she calls, as Heimdall leads Banner from the main room. Once he’s gone she turns back to Thor. Her hair has started to come loose from the neat ponytail she kept it in, falling in large dark waves about her face. She smirks, “And what about you, my king? Will you be retiring soon?”

Thor reaches out slowly, stops just short of cupping her face. “I don’t even know your name,” he realises.

She sighs, shakes her head sadly. “You really know how to kill the mood, don’tcha?” She stands up and staggers in the vague direction of the bar. Thor should stay, make sure she doesn’t drink herself to death but he doesn’t.

\---

There are a limited number of rooms on the spacecraft, most people have doubled up. As their King, their Captain, Thor has his own room but he’s forgone the larger Captain’s quarters for a smaller room nearer the engines. Banner’s room is down here, Loki’s too. He finds his brother lingering in the corridor, staring blankly out the window at the vast expanse of space.

“My, my,” he says, eyes meeting Thor’s in the reflection on the glass. “Thor Odinsson, leaving the party early and still upright, I see. I thought Asgard would fall before – Oh, wait.” He turns. “Too soon?”

Despite it all Thor smiles. “Loki.” He approaches slowly, crowds Loki up against the window. Thor reaches out, brushes a thumb across Loki’s cheek bone. Loki’s eyes flutter. “Yes,” he says. “I’m still here. Shocker, I know.”

“Loki,” Thor says again and bends to press a kiss to edge of Loki’s jaw. It’s chaste at first, Thor rests his forehead against Loki’s, eyes closed. It’s been so long since they’ve done this, so, so long. Before Loki left, before Jotunheim even when they were still brothers and Loki’s breath would hitch as he hissed, “It is sin, it is a _sin._ You’re my brother, my broth- _ah, yes_.”

Loki’s sigh is shaky, he tilts his head back further. Thor needs no further invitation, he lunges, presses Loki flush against the glass and sucks a mark into his long pale throat. Loki laughs. Laughs and laughs and laughs. Thor kisses up his throat, along his jaw, is just about to capture his mouth when Loki goes stiff against him, when the hands that had been loosely curled into his shoulders turn tight.

Thor pulls back a fraction.

“Are you sure you wouldn’t rather wait until we reach Midgard?” Loki says, voice hard and cruel. “Isn’t that more your taste these days?”

Thor closes his eyes. There’s this distant flash of anger, brief and fleeting. He shakes his head, “Loki, I will not play this game with you. Not today.”

Loki blinks at him, confusion clear in his gaze. Thor steps away and keys in the code for his bedroom. He shuts the door behind him, falls face first onto the dusty bed and sleeps.

\---

“It’s Brunnhilde,” Valkyrie says when she pins him as they spar the next morning. Thor’s head is still muzzy, he blinks up at her and she laughs. “King of Asgard, can’t handle a little engine room brew.” She clambers off of him and offers a hand. “It’s my name, idiot.”

Thor’s cheeks colour. “Oh. Right. Of course.” He takes her hand, lets her haul him upright.

“That’s three nothing to the Valkyrie,” Heimdall says.

Thor clears his throat. “Yes. Well. I think that’s enough for now.”

Brunnhilde smirks, tilts her head. “Suit yourself, Lord of Thunder.”

“God,” Thor says, to her retreating back. “God of Thunder.”

Behind him, Heimdall makes a strange coughing noise. When Thor turns to him, he carefully avoids Thor’s gaze. “I was letting her win you know,” Thor says, not that it matters. He knows Heimdall doesn’t believe him but he also knows Heimdall will let him have this. Predictably, Heimdall smiles and nods his head, “Of course you were,” he says, good-naturedly. If Thor were younger, Heimdall would ruffle his hair here. Thor would protest, Loki would sneer, the Warriors would tease him. Sif would roll her eyes.

It feels like someone has slipped a dagger between his ribs, this deep persistent ache that he can almost ignore until the blade scrapes against bone. He winces, closes his eyes briefly.

Heimdall says nothing, waits patiently.

“Is Banner awake yet?” Thor asks, trying to push down the sudden rush of memories; the bursts of colour of the Bifrost, the glint of gold as Asgard came into view, the steadying knowledge that home would always be there somewhere.

Heimdall’s gaze cuts briefly to vacant space to Thor’s left, goes slightly out of focus before he looks back. “Not yet.”

“And Loki?”

“On the bridge.”

Thor thanks him, turns to go but there’s something nagging at him, something that’s been nagging at him since - since well everything really. He turns back to face Heimdall, tries to find a way to word this carefully and then gives up. “You knew what my brother had done to my father, didn’t you?”

Heimdall heaves a sigh and that’s the thing, he seems regretful, has always seemed regretful but if he’s always known about Loki’s mischief, about Loki’s schemes and has never done a thing to stop him how can Thor trust him now? “I did,” Heimdall says, quietly. “Not straight away but eventually.”

He’s not looking at Thor, not looking at anything as far as Thor can tell.

Thor’s waiting for the anger, for blinding hot rage but it doesn’t come. There’s just this hollow feeling in his gut, this vast chasm of emptiness and possibilities. “Why did you not send for me?” His voice comes out smaller than he would have liked and Heimdall turns away. For a moment Thor thinks he’s leaving but no, he’s just turning to sink slowly down on the floor. After a moment, Thor joins him.

“By the time I saw through your brother’s disguise he had already exiled me. You were gone, scattered to the Nine Realms with no hint of your location, it took me a while to find you and by then…” He falls silent.

After a moment Thor prompts, “But then?”

“You know the first time your brother managed to hide himself from my gaze I went straight to your father?”

Thor frowns, shakes his head.

“This was long before the Frost Giants, before Jotunheim but your father wouldn’t heed my warnings. My father was one of the few to survive Hela’s first attack on Asgard, he had told me of her. I kept a close eye on your brother after that, kept your father informed but he never seemed to believe me. I thought he was blinded by his love for his children or perhaps simply arrogant. I saw his pain when Loki fell. I think now perhaps he simply did not want to believe it.”

Thor recalls.

“Despite it all, your brother was a good king. He ruled Asgard fairly, it flourished.”

“While the Nine Realms crumbled around it,” Thor says.

Heimdall inclines his head, conceding. “I saw. I also saw what your brother did to secure the crown. The lengths he went to. I knew even if I called you back you would not be able to bring yourself to end your brother. Your conflict would repeat endlessly.” He smiles sadly. “I was so blinded by it that I did not see the real threat looming.”

\---

He finds Loki on the bridge, bent over starcharts and scrawling something out. The mark Thor left on his throat is stark against his pale skin even though the collar of the shirt he’s wearing could easily disguise it. Thor watches him for a few moments before stepping into the room.

“What are you doing?”

Loki doesn’t look up. “Plotting a course.”

Thor snorts. “We already have a course,” he points out. “We’re going to Midgard.”

Loki rolls his eyes. “Yes. Midgard. Which is at least two months away. Do you expect our people to sustain themselves on their faith in you alone, King Odinsson, or do you think we made need to stop for supplies along the way?”

“Ah,” Thor says.

“ _Ah_ ,” Loki agrees and goes back to his plotting. After a moment Thor steps up to join him, leaning in close to peer over shoulder. Loki stiffens in annoyance but doesn’t push him away. “There are few places that still owe Asgard we can try. We don’t exactly have any leverage anymore but I suppose we could threaten to never leave if they don’t help us.”

He says it off-hand, like it’s one of his cruel little jokes but Thor’s skin crawls at the thought of _begging_. This is what’s become of his people. He pushes the feeling away, curls closer to Loki instead, pressing up against him, resting his chin on Loki’s shoulder. For a moment Loki leans in to it, raises his hand to press against Thor’s.

“I missed you,” Thor says.

Loki sighs. “I have work to do.”

\---

Banner sleeps for three days straight. When he wakes, he’s reluctant to leave his room.

“He’s no fun like that,” Brunnhilde says but she’s fidgeting with a practise blade, movements erratic and uncoordinated.

“Give him time,” Heimdall says gently. “It must be a lot to take in.”

Brunnhilde rolls her eyes. “Boohoo, so he’s woken up on the wrong side of the galaxy. It’s not like that’s not a regular occurrence for most of us.”

“I’ll talk to him,” Thor promises.

Brunnhilde snorts.

Thor ignores her and traipses across the ship to Banner’s rooms. He knocks three times before giving up and barging in anyway. Banner’s sat on the bed, books spread out around him. He’s thumbing through one of them, looks up gingerly when Thor enters.

Thor recognises the covers. They are mostly fairy stories, books meant for teaching children how to read. Thor smiles, picking out an old favourite from the mess. “Where did you get these?” He asks, smoothing a hand across the cover.

“Your brother, actually,” Banner says. “I’m still worried one of them will explode on me or something.”

“Oh, yes. He’s done that to me before,” Thor says. “Enough to put me off reading for a life time.”

Banner looks faintly alarmed. “He did? Really? So he’s just always been like that?”

Thor frowns. “Oh, I suppose so. Yes.”

“And you’re just – you’re all buddy-buddy now?”

Thor sets the book down. “He’s my brother,” he says, simply. “I suppose it’s rather like you and Hulk.” He sits on the edge of Banner’s bed. “Except not.”

“Yeah,” Banner agrees. “Like that except not at all.” He draws his knees up to his chest and exhales. “We’re going back to Earth, aren’t we?”

“There’s nowhere else,” Thor says quietly.

Banner nods. “At least I won’t be the biggest news of the day.”

Thor glances at him side-on. Folded into himself, Banner looks small, fragile. To anyone outside looking in, they probably all look that way. “Well,” he says. “Not looking like that at any rate.”

It takes a moment for Banner to smile.

“Valkyrie is worried about you,” Thor says. “She gets very smashy when she’s angry, it’s starting to get dangerous. I told her you were just tired. You’d be right as rain in a few days. I don’t think she’d take kindly to me if she found out I was lying and I am, you know, Captain of this ship. It wouldn’t be good for anyone if she beat me to death.”

\---

After a month, a suffocating hush has fallen across their ship. The people go about their business, they do their jobs and do them well but the shock, Thor thinks, is finally setting in. Adrenaline burning off, leaving only the reality of their situation in its wake.

Instead of crumbling, Thor spars with Brunnhilde.

He knows she feels it to, the loss of their home, the home she lost eons ago, but she hides it well as she dances around him, spitting taunts and throwing punches. He wakes up sore all over, bruises prettily in smatterings of purple and green and gold, but it is worth it, he thinks, for the way she smirks when she takes him down, for the way her hair curls when it’s damp with sweat, the way her cheeks flush.

They are alone in the little space they have marked out for sparring today, Loki and Heimdall and Banner off elsewhere. Brunnhilde is always more playful when she doesn’t have an audience. When she pins Thor this time, sat astride his chest she puts an arm across his throat and leans in. “I’m surprised you haven’t tried to kiss me yet, Thunder-Lord.”

Her eyes are intoxicating. It is not as though Thor hasn’t thought of it, watching her fight, watching her drink. Even watching her toss an empty aside and belch. But he thinks just as often of Loki, arching beneath him years ago, pressed close to him that first night on the ship.

She quirks an eyebrow as the silence grows and Thor licks his dry lips. “I could ask you the same thing.”

She laughs, shakes her head and rolls off of him. “Oh, believe me, I would. Trouble is, you keep looking at your brother like a lovesick puppy.”

Thor’s chuckle is weak. “Adopted. _Adopted_ brother.”

Her smile is kind. “Uh – huh,” she says. “Doesn’t really make it much less creepy.”

\---

Thor is asleep the first time Loki leaves the ship. He takes Heimdall and few others who were once members of their father’s council with him and it must go well because no one gets shot at or otherwise maimed and they return with enough supplies to see them through another few months.

Loki is tired when he returns but proud of himself. He downplays it as he steps back onto the bridge, shifting out of the false-face he wore to the meeting and back into his own skin. Thor downplays the vice-like panic that gripped his chest when he woke to find them gone.

“You take me with you next time,” he says, gripping Loki’s shoulder just too tight.

Loki rolls his eyes the way he would when they were children, when their mother made Thor promise to accompany him, when Thor pulled him out of whatever mess he’d gotten himself into and told him to be careful. “Yes, _brother_ ,” he mutters.

He keeps his word, shakes Thor awake at their next stop.

“We should wake Heimdall,” Thor says as he sleepily dresses.

“Uh, no. That’s probably not the best idea,” Loki says.

Thor pauses. Loki does not even try to hide the guilt in his face.

“Loki,” Thor says quietly. “If you have brought our people somewhere dangerous then – ”

“It’s not _dangerous_ ,” Loki protests. “For them, anyway. I wouldn’t put the ark in danger!”

Thor raises an eyebrow. Loki ignores him.

“We’re a safe difference away. But it would be better if Heimdall remained with the ship just in case.”

Thor narrows his eyes but Loki holds his gaze steady. After all these years, Thor would like to think he has learnt to tell when his brother is being genuine. He slowly starts to dress again. “We’ll bring Brunnhilde then.”

Loki huffs. “If you must.”

“And Banner,” Thor adds.

At that Loki makes a noise of annoyance. “Bring the Valkyrie if you have to but _please,_ do not bring Banner.” He crosses his arms when Thor turns to him. “He’s likely to have a heart attack as soon as he steps off the ship.”

Thor approaches him, stops a hairs-breadth away so Loki has to tilt his head up slightly to meet his gaze. “Loki, where have you brought us?”

\---

Thor recognises the Celestial’s head as fly towards it, huge and ancient and surrounded in swirls of green. Knowhere. Beside him, Brunnhilde breathes out. “Wow,” she says. “I never made it out here before. It’s actually kind of pretty in a horrifying way.”

At the helm Loki grins.

“Are you sure this is wise?” Thor asks him again, voice low. He’s not sure about this, even now as they are coming into land. He’s been here before, with Loki, without him, searching after he fell from the Bifrost, drinking when he could not be found. There is no one here that Thor would ever consider trusting, especially in a situation such as theirs but when Loki insisted, when he said _we need more than food, brother,_ he had seemed genuine.

(“I imagine you’ve been wrong before about that,” Brunnhilde said when Thor asked her to come.

“A few times,” Thor lied.

Brunnhilde only smiled. “It’s a good thing he’s the God of Lies and not you, Thunder-Lord. You’re rubbish.”)

The man they are going to see owes Loki a favour, he said. Has things they need for the ship, things beyond food and medicine. And maybe, if his brother is to be trusted, a way of contacted Earth.

Behind them, Banner makes a soft noise. “Is that a _head_?”

\---

Suspicion rolls off the man Loki has brought them to meet in waves and Thor finds himself marvelling once more that he has allowed his brother to talk him into this. There is nothing stopping him from walking them into a trap, after all and this man could be the perfect colluder.

By the way Brunnhilde keeps a hand on her sword as they walk in to the man’s home, he is not alone in that assessment. As the man’s servant escorts them in, she grips Loki by the back of his shirt and yanks him back sharply, raising her blade to press against his windpipe. “If this is a trap, I’ll take you apart piece by piece. Got it?”

Loki meets Thor’s gaze, there’s no fear there, no annoyance. All there is is a glint of amusement. He smiles. Smirks, really. “Understood,” he says. “Although, I fear our host will be not best pleased if you get blood on his carpets. He’s just redecorated.”

“I can recommend a good bleach,” Brunnhilde says, hissing the words against the back of Loki’s neck.

Loki eyelids flutter. Thor attempts to diffuse the situation. “Do you really? Because I – ”

But he’s interrupted by Banner. “Guys, can we just not do this right now? I mean, this whole thing is stressful enough without whatever the hell you’ve got going on here.”

Thor coughs.

Brunnhilde shoots one last glare at his brother and reluctantly re-sheaths her blade.

“Well,” Loki says. “Now that’s over, shall we proceed?”

They walk on. The man stands in the centre of a grand room, all manner of trophies and trinkets piled high on the walls around him. His hair is bone-white, he dresses flamboyantly. When he smiles at Loki, Thor is put in mind of some predatory beast, a creature that lurks and devours and owes no allegiance to anyone or anything but himself. It puts Thor in mind of what his brother may have become if her were not so consumed by his emotions.

“Apologies, friends,” the man says. “I am still rebuilding my collection following an incident.”

“I would never have noticed,” Loki says, crossing the room to meet the man. They shake hands.

“You are too kind,” the man drawls. His tone is flat and even and Thor does not miss the way he sweeps his gaze over their small group, appraising. “So,” he says, stepping away from Loki and approaching them. “This is Asgard’s new king, hm? I was sorry to hear about your hammer, quite the unique creation.”

Thor crosses his arms, looking pointedly at Loki. “You heard about that?”

The corner of the man’s mouth quirks up in an odd little half-smile. “I have my ways.”

\---

They get what they came for, bits and pieces and modifications for the ship, a promise from Tivan of a means of contacting Earth. Loki strides away looking triumphant, the rest of them follow slightly after him, feeling rather exposed. Tivan had appraised each of them as artefacts, interesting relics for his Collection.

Brunnhilde is the first to recover, shaking it off by stretching, rolling her neck. “Well, since we’ve got to wait around in the arse end of Knowhere we might as well enjoy it and I could use a drink.” She makes off in a vague direction.

They end up in a bar packed tight and full of coloured lights and thudding music. Thor sits at the bar and listens to Brunnhilde and Loki bicker and snipe at each other, while Banner begins to relax and interjects here and there. It feels like years ago, like he and his brother and their friends are on some wayward adventure, stopping off at some tavern at the midpoint to unwind.

The dull ache in his chest begins to grow more pronounced.

He stands up, “I should get in touch with Heimdall. Make sure they don’t kill each other while I’m gone.” This last part he directs to Banner who spreads his hands.

“What am I supposed to do?”

“Get green,” Thor says, simply.

\---

It is useless to tell Heimdall where they are. He already knows. Has already known since he awoke and found them all gone, Thor assumes but he finds a comm station and radios him anyway. Heimdall is unimpressed though he does not say so and when the call disconnects Thor is left wondering just how many times Heimdall turned his gaze on either himself or Loki and despaired.

Often, probably.

He wonders how even the score is between them.

By the time he gets back to the bar the ache has not ebbed. When he raises a hand to push open the door he feels lightning crackle through it. He wants to break his brother in two for doing this to him, to us, to their people. He wants to hold his brother close and never let go. He wants to scream and roar and rage for everything he’s lost but he can’t.

He can’t.

When he steps inside, he finds Brunnhilde with Loki pinned to the floor, one arm twisted painfully behind his back. “Had enough yet, Little Prince?” she yells as the small crowd gathered around them egg her on.

Loki lets out a wordless snarl of annoyance. “I’ve had worse than this from _children._ ”

Brunnhilde smiles and using his trapped arm as leverage, she flips him over, slamming him into the floor of the pub hard. “Spend a lot of your time fighting children, do you?”

Loki scowls.

Thor closes his eyes briefly, makes his way over to the bar. Banner looks sheepish. “Sorry, I tried,” he says.

“Did you?” Thor mutters, signalling the bar keep. “Did you really?”

“Well,” Banner admits, carefully. “No. But in my defence, you guys are literally gods and I’m not.”

The bar keep must have some sort of low level telepathy because he pushes a large flagon of strong ale towards Thor without being asked. Thor drains it in one and while the bar keep fills him another says, “Uh-huh,” to Banner.

The commotion behind them continues, from what Thor can gather, Loki has escaped Brunnhilde’s hold. There is a loud smashing sound. Brunnhilde swears. Loki laughs.

Banner sighs. “Look, I’m not him, Thor. And I – maybe I don’t wanna be anymore. And actually, it’s pretty fucking shitty for you to ask that of me.”

Thor sighs too, sets his third flagon down half empty. “You’re right. It was wrong of me.”

Banner nods. “Thank you.”

“I will only ask it of you if we’re in desperate need,” Thor says.

Banner frowns, opens his mouth to say something when there is the sound of the bar door slamming open, a group of people shuffling in and abruptly stopping. “ _You._ ” Someone spits.

Thor twists around on his bar stool just in time to see Loki, who has somehow managed to pin Brunnhilde, say, “Buggar.”

\---

The drunk tanks on Knowhere smell like the drunk tanks on every world Thor has been to: stale sweat and piss and beer. They have cuffed Loki to him as though that will accomplish anything and Banner, recently de-hulked, is passed out in a corner. Brunnhilde has been taken to a separate cell.

“I didn’t realise your popularity extended quite so far, brother,” Thor says.

Loki’s head is tipped back against the wall to try and staunch the steady stream of blood that’s pouring from it. “Shut up.”

“You know, Jane says you shouldn’t do that,” Thor says. “It doesn’t stop the blood and all that’ll happen is the blood will pour down your throat.”

Loki scowls at him. “Oh, _Jane_ said, did she?”

“Yes. She was quite knowledgeable about such things. How did that happen anyway? In the fight with Brunnhilde or in the second one?”

“Shut _up,_ ” Loki snaps but he stops tilting his head back and chooses to glare down at the floor instead. His movements are sluggish, he keeps shaking his head, blinking hard. Thor’s already asked if he hit his head too hard and had his concerns brushed off. It’s none of his concern if Loki wants to suffer in silence, Thor thinks but then Loki lurches forwards worryingly, their shared chain yanking Thor with him.

“Brother?” he says, alarmed.

Loki catches himself before he slips off the bench entirely, knuckles white where they grip the seat. He shakes, his face is very, very pale. “Something’s wrong,” he chokes out and Thor is halfway to his feet before he remembers their bindings.

He turns to the cell door, meaning to call for help but the guard is already present, a pink skinned Kree boy who snorts when Loki slumps over.

“What did you _do_ to him?” Thor snaps. Lightning crackles through him.

The Kree boy looks unimpressed. “Sleeping powder,” he says. “Got orders to do your friend too. The girl that likes to break things. They were judged to be the biggest risks.”

Thor snarls. “ _Why_?”

The boy shrugs and after a moment, he turns to leave.

The lightning fizzles out. Thor sighs. Loki has fallen against his shoulder, snoring softly. Thor jostles him a little to make their position more comfortable for the both of them.

The air smells burnt, crackles against his skin.

From the corner of the cell, Banner groans. “Where am I? What happened to my clothes?”

“They were ripped when you changed into the other guy,” Thor says.

Banner groans again and Thor smiles faintly, “Actually, it was quite useful as a distraction.”

“That’s not helping,” Banner tells him.

\---

Heimdall comes for them in the morning, strides up to their cell with Brunnhilde already in hand. Thor smiles weakly, “I knew you’d come,” he says.

Heimdall hums and tosses a bundle of clothes at Banner. He turns away as the cell is unlocked. Against Thor’s shoulder, Loki mumbles sleepily. The drugs have not worn off and judging by the unsteady way Brunnhilde leans against the cell wall, she is still suffering too.

Once Banner is dressed they leave, Heimdall walking ahead of them with quick determined strides. Thor is left to herd Brunnhilde and Loki, half dragging, half carrying them back to the ship.

“Heimdall is so great,” Brunnhilde says. “I don’t think you pay him enough for babysitting you. For babysitting us.”

“I don’t think we pay him at all,” Loki replies, glassy-eyed.

Back on the Grand Master’s orgy-ship, Thor pushes them towards the bed before settling himself in the co-pilots seat. Heimdall waits for Banner to sit down and strap in before he starts the engine. He has not yet said a word, displeased or otherwise.

“Thank you,” Thor says earnestly as the ship rumbles off. “Really, I – “ he breaks off.

Heimdall exales and after a moment, turns his golden gaze on Thor. His words are careful and considered. “It would not do to have the new King of Asgard rotting a drunk tank in a place like Knowhere.”

His gaze doesn’t linger. Thor feels abruptly very small. “Perhaps the new King of Asgard should not be in a drunk tank in Knowhere in the first place,” he says quietly.

“Perhaps,” Heimdall rumbles.

“Hey,” Banner says from behind them. “Didn’t we forget the communication thingy?”

Thor swears.

“Not to worry,” Heimdall says. “I retrieved your device. It’s in the cargo-hold along with your brother’s pilfered machinery.”

“Oh,” Thor says. “Well.”

“I told you he was the last competent person,” Brunnhilde mumbles.

Heimdall looks back at that and Thor is certain a smile flickers across his face. When he turns away he looks back to Thor, “As ever I do not approve of the company your brother chooses to keep.”

“Nor I,” Thor says faintly.

\---

Back on the ark, there are people gathered to help unload Loki’s goods. Thor snags the communication device, turns it over in his hands. It looks a little like the mobile phones they use on Midgard, a scribbled note tells him all he needs to do is enter the name and last known location of the person he wishes to contact.

Heimdall has left them, announcing that he will take the helm for the day.

Banner offers to take Brunnhilde back to her rooms so Thor can take Loki. Thor’s too tired to make a joke about it, Heimdall too professional or annoyed. He lifts Loki off the bed and drags him towards his chambers.

When Thor deposits him on his bed, Loki grasps at his wrist, “Don’t go,” he mumbles. “Thor, please.”

Thor would not have denied him then, even if Loki’s grip hadn’t been so desperate.

He lies down beside his brother, curled around him, waits for his breathing to go slow and even before he leaves. Loki will have a change of heart when he wakes, will probably stab him or something if he finds Thor in his bed.

Thor makes his way to one of the observation decks, is only part surprised when he finds Banner there. He has the communication device in hand, has been considering it on his walk from their quarters. His first thought is Jane, or Erik but neither of them will greet him fondly.

Stark or Rogers, then.

He sighs. Dropping down to sit beside Banner as he stares out at the stars.

“Have you – uh – called anyone yet?” Banner asks. In his lap, his fingers work nervously, knotting and unknotting.

“No,” Thor admits, chuckling self-depreciatingly. “I’m not sure who to…” He trails off.

Banner glances at him. “I know the feeling.”

Thor breathes out with something like relief.

“Tony’s probably our best bet though,” Banner adds, dropping his gaze.

Thor knows. He just can’t stomach having to call Tony Stark and tell him everything that’s happened, plead for sanctuary for his people. Not right now, at least. “Yes,” he says, heavily. “I thought so too.”

Banner nods. “No rush though,” he says, after a beat. “We’ve still go – how long did your brother say? Two months?”

“More if we run low on provisions.” Thor says. He almost closes his eyes against the weight of it. All these people, the last remnant of Asgard, relying on him to lead, to keep them safe and fed and well. To lead them through this, find them a new home. “Do you think I’m a good king?” he finds himself asking Banner.

“Um.” Banner says.

Thor scoffs, pats him on the back as Banner splutters, trying to come up with something polite to say no doubt. “At least I can trust you’re always honest with me, my friend,” he says.

\---

When he asks Brunnhilde she laughs until she winces, pauses to clutch at her sides, then laughs all over again.

“Oi,” Thor says, trying very admirably to keep a straight face. “I’m still your king, you know.”

“I’m sorry,” she says, wiping at her eyes. “I’m sorry – It’s _just –_ ”

Thor shakes his head and gives up. He tries Loki next, finds him on the Bridge. He’s alone, the ark lights low for night-shift. There’s no need for anyone to steer really, the ark’s equipped with all kinds of alarms and sensors but Loki seems to like it up here.

Thor steps up close to him.

“Have you contacted Midgard yet?” He asks, voice flat. He dreads their return, still thinks Thor will throw him to wolves the second they enter Midgard’s orbit. By his stance, rigid posture, arms tight across his chest, Thor knows if he tries to comfort him, Loki will only push him away.

“Not yet. I think it best to wait until we’re closer.”

Loki nods tightly.

“I won’t leave you,” Thor says. “You’ll be coming with me. I’ll make sure of it.”

Loki doesn’t reply.

Thor is quiet a moment, turning the words over and over in his mind, trying to find a better way to phrase it to his brother. Eventually, Loki sighs. “Was there something else?”

“Do you think it was right that I was made king?” he asks quietly.

Loki glares at him over his shoulder. “You are the eldest, are you not? That is how succession works, brother. I know you were never one to pay attention in lessons but I would have thought that at least stuck.” He shakes his head. “And if it didn’t I’m sure our dear sister reminded you of that fact.”

“I meant,” Thor says, steadying his voice. “Do you think it right we still have a King? Given that our sister said, all she did.”

That gives Loki pause and he turns to Thor with a considering look in his eyes. “What brought this on?”

“Knowhere,” Thor says. Then he sighs and adds, “Or, everything, really.”

Loki frowns. Thor moves to sit down, settling on the edge of the little raised navigators platform.

“I don’t think I’m a good ruler,” he admits.

His brother sighs, crosses and uncrosses his arms. “I think it runs in the family.”

It’s so unexpected, almost an admission of guilt, that Thor laughs.

“To be frank,” Loki goes on, joining him on the floor. “Thinking back on it we might not have had the best role model to follow.”

Thor laughs again. “No,” he agrees, thinking of Hela locked away and forgotten for their father’s sins, thinking of Loki and his hidden heritage, of his father alone and frail on Midgard. “We certainly didn’t.”

“I still find I miss him though,” Loki says quietly. “Isn’t that strange?”

Thor slings an arm around his brother’s shoulders. Loki buries his face in Thor’s neck. It feels damp. Thor leans his head against Loki’s, rubs his arm slowly and gently.

 _You did this,_ he wants to say. Instead, he turns his head and presses a kiss to Loki’s dark hair.

\---

He has to leave his consideration of Asgard and ruling and calling Midgard behind him when they come upon the ship. Beside him, Loki begins to tremble, his breath is shaky.

Thor touches his arm, alarmed. “Loki?”

“ _If he wanted me dead, I’d be dead,_ ” Loki whispers, quickly. Then he turns, moves off quickly, shouting, “Heimdall, do you know if they’ve seen us?”

Heimdall says he can’t be sure but regardless, they can go nowhere fast. Not without a miracle. They will be spotted and, if those onboard the other ship wish it, they will be boarded. Thanos. Thor has heard stories of him. Stories meant to frighten. There is unease as he says this, as they discuss what they should tell their people.

Brunnhilde’s jaw is tight. “They have to be ready,” she says. “They’ve already lost everything, they deserve a chance to fight for this if they want it.”

“I agree,” Banner says. “They should at least get a heads up on their impending doom.”

Heimdall’s gaze flicks to him briefly.

Loki is uncharacteristically quiet, fists balled at Thor’s side.

“Well?” Heimdall asks, looking pointedly at Thor.

“We should tell them,” Thor says. “They will not panic. They’ve been through this before.”

Heimdall nods. “I shall relay the message.”

“I’ll make sure they’re all properly armed,” Brunnhilde says.

Banner looks at them. “Uh.”

“Man the helm?” Thor suggests.

“Yes!” Banner says. “Yes, that. I’ll go do that.”

“I’ll – ” Loki starts but Thor grasps him firmly by the wrist.

“Don’t run,” he says. Asks. Pleads, maybe.

“Brother,” Loki says.

“ _Please_ ,” Thor interrupts. “I don’t – I don’t want you to leave again. We’re all that’s left. Please.”

Loki is still shaking. He doesn’t not turn to face him as he says, “What he will do to me is a thousand times worse than death. That is what I will be condemned to if I stay.”

“I will protect you,” Thor promises.

Loki’s laugh is bitter. “You have no idea.”

“ _Loki_.” Thor drags him forward, holds him close. Loki doesn’t push him away, whether out of shock or fear. “Stay,” Thor says. “I am asking you to. I need you. Our people need you.”

Loki is gripping Thor’s arms, tight enough to bruise. “You don’t know what you ask,” he mumbles.

Thor lets him go.

Heimdall returns a moment later, expression grim. “Thanos has requested an audience with the sons of Odin. He says if we defy him, our ark is forfeit.”

Thor swallows. “In that case, he shall have it.”

He looks to Loki. Loki stares back, eyes wide.

\---

“You must be bloody joking,” Brunnhilde says, pacing in the transporter bay. “Big purple warlord says _I’d like a chat with your King please_ and we say yes sir, how’d you like him? Bow on top? Trussed up like a boar for roasting?”

“Brunnhilde,” Thor says, voice low and warning.

“It’s _bullshit._ ” She stomps. Slams her fists into a nearby console. “I should come with you. If it comes down to it it’s just you and him.” She glares at Loki. She doesn’t like his fighting style, says he relies too much on tricks and illusion.

Loki does not seem to be listening to them though, his gaze very far away.

“I need you here,” Thor says. “Just in case.”

“Heimdall can handle it,” Brunnhilde says, dismissively. “He did it before.”

“You’re staying here,” Thor says. “And that’s final.”

But she stands in his way when he tries to step onto the transporter, holds her hands up to stop him passing. Thumps at his chest, scowls. “Who the fuck do you fucking think you are?” she demands. “Pulling me out of my pit of alcoholism and despair and throwing me into – ”

“A slightly more claustrophobic pit of alcoholism and despair?” Thor suggests.

She laughs. “Fuck you.”

Thor smiles weakly and moves her out of the way.

“You better come back,” she says, jabbing at him with her sword. “I’ll feed you to the Hulk if you don’t.”

“Does Banner get a say in this?”

Brunnhilde shakes her head.

Thor looks to Loki, “Come on,” he says gently. Loki meets his gaze slowly, warily, like an untamed wild thing but then he blinks and the fear is gone, carefully shuttered away. He steps onto the transporter.

“Bring him back safe,” Brunnhilde says with no indication of who she’s referring to.

“Don’t blow up the ship,” Thor says.

There is a hum as the transporter fizzles to life beneath them. Thor feels the buzz against his skin. He has not really considered all the horrific ways this may end but now they press against his eyelids. He reaches out, grasps at Loki’s wrist.

It’s solid. He smooths his thumb over Loki’s pulse-point.

Feels the comforting thrum.

Beside him, Loki lets out a shuddering breath.

The room around them starts to come into focus.

“Yes, hello,” Thor says, to the armed guards that greet them. “We were invited. Are we early? I was told there would be drinks.”

“Thor,” Loki warns.

The guards though don’t seem to take any notice of his words, only exchange a brief glance and nod. “This way,” one of them says, and marches out of the room. The other waits for them to proceed before bringing up the rear.

“I know you think yourself charming, brother,” Loki says, keeping his voice low. “But trust me in this: Thanos will not find your wit amusing. More likely he will use it against you and cut out your tongue for his own amusement.”

“That does sound unpleasant,” Thor says. “But you seem to have fared well enough under him, Silvertongue.”

“No,” Loki says softly. “No, I did not.”

\---

When they are brought before Thanos, lounging in a large imposing throne, Thor finds much of the fear and doubt has ebbed away. This he can do. He can handle tyrants. He can fight if needs be. He will defend his people to the last. He readies himself, stretches his fingers and feels lightning spark between them before curling them into a fist.

He is about to step forward when Loki beats him to it. His arm brushes past Thor’s as he does so, warm and solid.

Loki doesn’t speak, doesn’t utter a word. Only stands a few feet ahead of Thor, hands lying flat at his side. He is the very picture of calm but for the slight clench to his jaw.

Thanos chuckles, a low rich rumble that chills Thor to his core. “I was sorry to hear about your home, Little Prince, though not about your father. That old fool’s time was long overdue. I only wish I had been there so that I may have felt his skull crack personally. Tell me: how is it that _you_ , a snivelling whelp, rejected as a lost cause even by your own flesh and blood came to fell the Allfather.”

Thor feels his anger grow. Loki’s voice when he speaks though, is clear and steady. “I severed his tie to Asgard, to his magic.” There is bitterness in his words. “It was not quick, he felt every second of it.”

Thanos laughs again. “And not an end befitting a warrior of his stature. Does that not mean he will be condemned to walk the grey halls of Hel until the end of time?”

Thor swallows hard. Before him, Loki’s fingers twitch.

Thanos hums. “An accident, no doubt.”

Loki starts at that.

Thanos’s smile is slow and pleased. “You forget I know you, Little Prince. You forget I know that all your schemes, all your little plots and attempts at domination go awry. If you had plotted the death of your father it would not have come to fruition. And now I have you, Little Thief, Little Liar along with all that Asgard has left.”

He sits back in his throne, assessing them languidly, but before he can say more, before Thor steps forward with a fist full of lightning, Loki speaks again.

“I have it,” he says, quickly. “What you want. What you wanted. I took it from my father’s vault before it was destroyed.”

Thanos tilts his head. “So you wish to bargain.”

Loki nods almost imperceptibly.

“Let me guess, your life for the stone?”

Loki shakes his head. “The life of my brother and our people for the stone.”

This time Thanos’ laugh is loud, bouncing off the walls of his vast, empty throne room and magnified exponentially. “Heart-warming, truly. Have you grown so skilled in your lies, Little Prince?”

Abruptly, he stands, makes his way down towards them with heavy footfalls. Thor makes a low noise in his throat, about to move but Loki holds out a hand, fingers spread to keep him at bay. _Trust me,_ he’s saying. Pleading. _Trust me._

Thanos is before him now. He raises one large hand. If he wanted to, he could crush Loki’s skull between his fingers, Thor is certain. But he doesn’t. He touches Loki gently, briefly. Loki shudders at it.

“It makes no difference to me when I kill you, Little Prince,” Thanos says. “Whether it is here, alone on my ship but for your false-brother or later when you think you have escaped, when you think you are safe but I will kill you. It will be slow, painful and just for fun, I think I will allow your brother to bare witness.”

Thor cannot prevent the burst of lightning from his fists, clenched so tightly he can feel the blunt edges of his nails begin to cut into his flesh. “If you think I will allow you to harm him – ”

“Peace,” Thanos interrupts, eyeing Thor with amusement. “I accept your brother’s deal.” He looks back to Loki, “Send for the tesseract. Then run to Earth. Tell them what awaits them when I arrive.”

He turns away, strides off, evidently confident that Loki will do his bidding. Thor strides over to his brother, grabs him by the arm. There are several things he would like to say to Loki but he settles for, “We cannot hand the tesseract over to that _monster_.”

Loki snatches his arm away, avoiding Thor’s gaze. “If we don’t our lives and the lives of our people are forfeit.”

\---

Brunnhilde brings the tesseract after much arguing and anger. She tosses it Thanos’ feet, shoots Loki a glare so vicious and full of venom that he flinches. Thanos smiles and thanks them, sends them on their way.

Back on the ship, they have hardly stepped off the transporter before Brunnhilde has Loki pinned against the wall, blade cutting in to the soft flesh of his throat. “You selfish fuck,” she snarls. “You brought that thing onto the ark knowing he would come for it.”

Thor cannot even begin to react, his thoughts are muddled, coming fast and bright and layered atop one another. Beside him, Heimdall arrives, watching the scene impassively.

Loki holds Brunnhilde’s gaze even as blood begins to ooze up beneath the blade. “He would have come for us anyway,” he says tightly.

 “Come for _you_ maybe.” She presses tighter, closer.

Loki draws in a breath, presses himself as close to the wall, as far from the blade as he can. “I only stayed because Thor asked me to,” he says.

“Bullshit,” Brunnhilde spits. “You stayed because you’re a filthy little coward who wouldn’t last a second without your big brother standing up for you.”

At that Loki laughs raggedly. “Yes, because the best way of hiding from a deranged titan is on a large but confined ship that the whole universe is aware of. I could hide myself alone if I wanted. I could hide myself so well no one would _ever_ find me but I stayed because he asked.”

Thor closes his eyes against it. When he opens them again, Brunnhilde has released Loki with a sound of disgust. Loki brings a hand up to the thin cut on his neck with a hiss of pain. Brunnhilde rounds on Heimdall, sword raised. “Did you know?”

Heimdall shifts under her scrutiny.

“The glowy-box weapon thing,” Brunnhilde clarifies. “Did you know?”

“I was aware.”

Thor cannot hide his shock, his hurt. “You _knew_?”

Heimdall’s gaze flickers between them but he does not look ashamed. “For once you brother made no attempt to hide it from me. When I confronted him I had every intention of telling you all but his reasoning was sound. Thanos would have found the artefact one way or another, whether he took it from us or from the wreckage of Asgard. This way at least it could be used as bargaining chip if Thanos came after us and if not, we would have a chance to conceal or destroy it.”

He says it so calmly, so evenly. Like he has not helped Loki deceive them all, like he has not helped Loki endanger them all _again_ on a gambled chance. “Why did you not tell me?” he demands.

“Because you would have reacted poorly,” Heimdall says simply. “And because your brother asked me not to.”

Thor turns to Loki.

“Save your breath, Thor,” Brunnhilde says. “He only kept it from you so he could act like a fucking hero when the time came.”

“No,” Loki says.

“Why then?” Thor steps closer to him.

Loki glances away. “I – Would you have allowed us to proceed to Midgard if you had known? Would you have let me take something so dangerous back there? You would only have gotten angry and hot-headed and –”

Thor laughs, shakes his head. “Do you truly still think so little of me? After all this time?”

Loki’s words stutter to a halt. He stares at Thor, eyes wide and uncomprehending.

Thor glances at Brunnhilde and Heimdall. “Leave us.”

After a moment, they do.

Loki’s eyes are wider now, bordering on panic and part of Thor wants to keep it that way, still wants to slam his brother against the wall and let him feel the rage, the fury Thor’s let build up over the years. He wants Loki to pay.

But there’s still that dull ache, that chasm in his chest and little by little, it drowns out the anger until all there is is grief and exhaustion and relief that his brother is still here. Still here and alive and solid. He takes another step towards Loki. “Did you think I wouldn’t believe you?”

Loki it seems is speechless. He licks his lips, has a few tries before the words come out. “You have never believed me before,” he says.

That’s a lie and Loki knows but Thor does not want to argue so he raises a hand to brush a thumb along Loki’s cheek bone. “You have never stayed before,” he says, in return.

Loki’s eyes are damp. “I’m sorry,” he says, barely more than a whisper.

Thor drags his gaze from his brother’s lips. “I know.”

This time when Thor kisses him, Loki does not push him away.

They make it somehow to Thor’s chambers and all the while, as Thor presses Loki down onto the mattress, he thinks _yes, yes._ This is how they were meant to be. This is how it was always meant to be between them. He has never been more certain of anything in his life.

And when he wakes and Loki is still curled against him, he feels the ache inside lessen a fraction.

\---

Brunnhilde it seems, knows precisely what has transpired simply by sweeping her gaze over him as he enters the galley. She snorts, goes back to picking at the large slab of meat she’s having for breakfast and says, “Well, at least you’ve sorted _that_ out.”

Banner, who is sitting beside her, glances between them with an increasing frown on his face and eventually he must figure it out because he winces. “You guys have issues. Just so, _so_ many issues.”

“Understatement of the millennia,” Brunnhilde says around the rim of her glass.

“At least you didn’t level any planets this time,” Banner points out.

“Yes,” Thor says. “Well.” And he’s slightly alarmed at how light he feels, how calm. As though he hasn’t just had his life and the life of all of Asgard and Midgard threatened by a titan. There is much to do. He must talk to Heimdall, he has made his mind up about his duties, about how Asgard will be run from now on and then, “We should call Stark today.”

Banner looks up. “Okay,” he says and then, “We should probably figure out the time difference first.”

Thor frowns. “Why?”

“So we don’t end up calling at 3am or something? Though I suppose Tony would probably be awake… But anyway, we should still check. It’s polite.” He narrows his eyes at Thor’s blank stare. “You do know that time doesn’t run the same everywhere, don’t you?”

Thor scoffs. “Of course I do.”

Banner hums. Brunnhilde sniggers and chokes on her meat.

“Serves you right,” Thor tells her.

\---

“It’s called a constitutional monarchy,” he says later to Heimdall and Brunnhilde and Loki while Banner does all sorts of complicated equations regarding time and distance. “Jane explained it to me.”

Heimdall tilts his head in polite interest, Loki seems more dubious from where he lounges against a wall. He is holding himself less stiffly though, less tensely. “I would still be King,” he goes on. “But Heimdall would lead. Or at least, we would share the balance of power more evenly.”

Loki starts. “You mean to deprive us of our birth-right?”

“We have both proven weak rulers at best, Loki,” Thor says, keeping his voice even. “But together I think we have been more than adequate.”

“That’s not really the phrase I’d use,” Brunnhilde says.

And at the same time Loki rolls his eyes and says, “You really have spent far too much time on Midgard with those morons.”

Heimdall though, sweeps his gaze across him. “Are you sure?” he says, after a long considering moment.

“Yes,” Thor says, firmly.

\---

“I don’t know, Point Break,” Tony Stark says from a million miles away. “I mean, we’re bad enough at taking in our _own_ refugees let alone a bunch of all powerful space gods.”

The communication device Loki sourced for them works a lot like a phone that has the numbers of almost everyone in existence programmed in. Thor tries to hide his displeasure. “Please, Stark, there’s nowhere else.”

Tony sighs. “I suppose you _did_ save the world once or twice and technically, Vision’s like, your son - _our_ son – and you’re super behind in child support payments.”

“Um, okay?” Thor says. Opposite him, Banner hides his face in his hands and shakes his head.

“Really though, do you have any idea how much it costs to raise a child these days? Not to mention – ” he breaks off. “God, there’s a lot to catch you up on. Anyway, sure. Whatever. Bring down your ark, Noah and I’ll make sure you don’t get shot down on sight.”

Thor laughs with relief. “Thank you. Before you go though, there’s someone else I think you should speak to.”

“Hot alien babe?” Tony asks as Thor holds out the device to Banner. Banner shakes his head furiously, mouthing _no, Thor, no_ but eventually he relents.

“Hey, Tony,” he says and Thor can hear an audible pause on the other end of the line before Tony says, “Holy _shit_ , Banner?”

“Yeah, it’s me,” Banner says, ducking his head but he’s smiling slightly so Thor smiles too before moving off to stand beside Loki.

Their shoulders brush. “So you didn’t break the news about me, then?”

Thor smiles, “I thought I’d let that be a nice surprise.”

Loki hums, unamused. “You do realise that as soon as I enter the atmosphere that Midgardian sorcerer is likely to lock me up.”

“You did try to blow up New York.”

“I was trying to blow up _you._ It’s not my fault you happened to be in New York.” He sighs, “You’ll be little quicker with the rescue this time, yes?”

“I mean, I’ll try.”

Loki rolls his eyes.


End file.
